Envelope machine



' April 5, 1938. A. NOVICK ENVELOPE MACHINE Original Filed 001;. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet l J um \N a a.

ATTORNEKS A. NOVICK 2,113,555

ENVELOPE MACHINE April 5, 1938.

Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 58 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 IN VENT OR .Abm/mm fl/a wick.

By ATTORNEYS Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Abra/um A/aw'ck- BY {M v A TTORNEYS April 5, 1938. 'A. NOVICK 2,113,555

ENVELOPE MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 "HHlun IN VENT OR ibm/ram Way/ck.

BY 0 402i A TTORNE Y5 April 5, 1938. wc 2,113,555

ENVELOPE MACHINE Original Filed 001:. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR flbm/mm Way/ck.

A ITORNEYS April 5, 1938. A. NQVICK 2,113,555

ENVELOPE MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 g Q G 3- 5 9 s 5 s N 7 Q g g g Y;

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A T'TORNE Y6 April 5, 1938. A. NOVlCK ENVELOPE MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 WW VF Y B A TTORNE Y6 Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 ATTORNEIS Patented Apr. 5, 1938 ENVELOPE MACHINE Abraham Novick, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to F. L. Smithe Machine 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 2, 1931, Serial No. 566,462 Renewed February 5, 1937 16 Claims.

This invention relates to envelope machines, and has for an object the provision of a machine which is built substantially in a single vertical longitudinal plane, and is of moderate length so 5 that each machine will occupy little space in a factory and a plurality of the machines may be bottom flap and to fold the bottom and top flaps, I

15 the two stretches being disposed one above the other and being located in the same longitudinal vertical plane.

It is a further important object of the invention usable in conjunction with, or independently of, the above-mentioned object to provide a machine including a mechanism for gumming and folding the side and bottom flaps of the envelope blanks and for folding the top flap in conjunction with a plurality of means selectively usable for supplying blanks to said mechanism, the first including a gummer and drier for the top flaps which maybe rendered idle at will independently of the other parts of the machine, and the other comprising means for delivering fresh blanks in 30 stack form to the gumming and folding mechanism. Such a machine is adapted either to make envelopes having the top flaps thereof gummed for sealing or having said flaps ungummed for use in carrying second class mail.

In the latter case the entire gumming and drying mechanism for the top flaps is rendered idle,

so that the power normally consumed in driving such mechanism and the wear upon the parts thereof are saved when the mechanism is not being usefully employed.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this'speciflcation: r

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, side elevation of the end of the machine used as the introductory end when the top flap gumming and drying mechanism is employed;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic, plan view showing blank turning mechanism employed in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic, side elevation of a portion of the machine which adjoins that of Figure v Figure 4 is a diagrammatic, plan view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic, side elevation of a portion 01' the machine which adjoins that of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic, plan view illustrating portions of the mechanism shown in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic,.side elevation of a portion of the machine which adjoins that of Figure 5; v

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic, plan view, illustrating a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 7; v

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic, side elevation of a portion of the machine which adjoins that of Figure 1, and which is located above it;

Figure 10 is a top view of a portion of the mechanism illustratedin Figures 1 and 9 which aligns the blanks and carries them to the upper eve Figure 11 is a diagrammatic, plan view of another portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic, side elevation of a portion of the machine which adjoins that of Figure 9 and which is located above that of Figure 3;

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic, plan view showing parts of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic, sectional view on a larger scale than that of Figure 1, illustrating mechanism for fanning out the stacked blanks and gumming the sealing flaps thereof;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary, side elevation similar to that of Figure 14, and illustrating the delivery of the gummed blanks to the drier;

Figure 16 is a detail view in sectional elevation, partly broken away, illustrating the feeding of the blanks delivered by the drier mechanism to the side flap gumming and folding mechanism;

and

Figure 17 is a view similar to Figure 16, illustrating the delivery of fresh blanks from a stack to the side flap gumming and folding mechanism, the drier mechanism and associated parts being idle.

If Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7 are laid end to end in the order named at the line A, A, B, B and C, 0, Figures 1 and 9 are laid side to side at the lines D, D, and Figures 9 and 12 are laid end to end at the lines E, E, the machine is seen in its entirety in side elevation, with the exception that the conveyor shown at the left hand end of Figure 12 for accumulating the finished envelopes is broken away.

For making envelopes whose top flaps have gum applied to them the fresh blanks are introduced in stack form from a table I at the right hand end of Figure 1. taken one by one from the stack by means of a separator disc 2 having friction fingers 3 protruding beyond its surface and a cooperating friction shoe la, as disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,385,468, granted to Charles F. Pflanze on July 26, 1921. This mechanism deposits the blanks singly upon a conveyor belt 4 and beneath rollers 5 and guide bars or frames 6. The conveyor belt 4 travels at such slow speed that the blanks are overlapped or shingled upon it, being arranged in fanned out relation and being carried forward slowly by the conveyor. As seen in Figure 14, provision is made of a roller 1 carried by a lever B which is pivoted upon a bracket 9. A spring 10 connected to the tail of the lever 8 and to the bracket pulls upward on the tail of the lever, and hence urges the roller 1 toward the conveyor 4. The bracket -9 is adjustably mounted upon a bar ll, being adapted to be secured in various adjusted positions by means of a set screw I2. By adjusting the bracket 9 along the bar II the roller 1 may be located at the proper distance (substantially a blank length) from the line of contact of rollers 2a and 2b which coact with the cylinder 2 in removing the blanks from the stack and feeding them rapidly away. Beyond the rollers 5 the bl nks pass beneath a pair of parallel belts l3 w ch run upon pulleys i4, i6 and i6, and which pass around a drum l1 in position to bear against the conveyor belt 4. From the drum l1 the blanks pass onto a wide belt [8 that runs upon a cylinder l9 and upon pulleys 20, 2i and 22. The blanks are held against and 23 to a drying conveyor 3|.

A wide belt 31 runs above'the belts 32 in posithe belt 18 by the belt 4 for part of their travel around the cylinder l9, and then by two narrow belts 23 which run upon pulleys 24, 25, 26, 21, 26 and 28. In the course of their travel around the cylinder 19 the blanks come beneath a summer 30 which applies gum to the exposed trailing margins of the blanks (the top or sealing flaps). The blanks are delivered by the belts 18 This conveyor comprises a pair of narrow chain belts 32, each driven by sprockets 33 and 34. Rails or skids 35 support the upper stretch of the chains 32, and an air chest 36 blows air against the gummed faces of the blanks from below. The belt 32 travels at a slightly higher speed than the belts l8 and 23, and hence serves to fan the blanks out a little more, so as to avoid liability of two or more of the blanks sticking together.

tion to hold the blanks against shifting while they are carried by the belts 32. The belt 31 runs upon and end roller 38, intermediate rollers 39, a delivery end roller 40, and a large'cyl inder 4i. Near the delivery end of the belts 32 provision is made of a hold-down conveyor consisting of two narrow parallel belts 42 that run upon pulleys 43, 44, 45, 46, 41 and around cylinder 4| in positions to bear against the blanks supported on the belt 31. As the blanks emerge from beneath the belts 42, they continue upon the belt 31 to the roller 40, the stretch of belt 31 between cylinder 41 and roller 46 being supported by a table 43. A bar 49 detachably mounted on a portion of the machine frame 50 by means of screws 49a carries a bracket 5| which is adjustable longitudinally of the bar 43 and which may be secured in adjusted positions there- The blanks are out relation. They are ready for delivery to the mechanism for gumming and folding the side and bottom flaps and for folding the sealing flaps.

At times, however, it is desired to use the machine for making envelopes for carrying second class mail matter, and in such case it is not desired to gum the top flaps. While the mechanism thus far described is adapted to deliver the blanks automatically to the mechanism for performing the subsequent operations referred to, it may also be rendered idle independently of the remainder of the machine, and provision is made for substituting means for supplying fresh blanks'in stacked form to such subsequent mechanism.

- The means for taking the blanks into the side flap folding and gumming mechanism comprises a disc 60a having friction studs 5|a thereon, a wide roller 62a, and narrow rollers 53a which cooperate with the roller 52a. The mechanism is like the similar separator mechanism disclosed in Figure 1. Provision is mode of a support 64a above the table 48 on which a shelf ortable 65a may be mounted for supplying blanks to the separator mechanism 60a63a. When fresh blanks are to be fed from a stack to the separator mechanism, the bar 49 is removed from the machine and the table 55a is put in place. Provision is made of means adjustable to bridge the gap between the conveyor 31 and the separator mechanism 5lla--53a or to bridge the gap between the table 550. and the separator mechanism. To this end provision is made of brackets 66 having slots 51 therein. The brackets are adapted to be fixed in position by screws 58 that pass through the slots and nuts '69 threaded on the ends of the screws. When the nuts 59 are loosened the brackets may be moved bodily and adjusted angularly to place a shelf 60 carried by them either in position to form a continuation of the belt 31 or in position to form a continuation of the table 5511. A leaf 6| is hingedly connected to the shelf 60 to bridge the space between the shelf 60 and the disc, 50a. A screw 62 threaded through a fixed bar 63 bears against the under side of leaf 6| and may be adjusted to locate the forward end of the leaf 6| at just the distance desired from the disc 50a.

The remainder of the mechanism operates the same, regardless of whether the blanks are taken from the conveyor 31 or from table 56a. The ensuing description may, therefore, be considered 'from either viewpoint.

The roller 62a and the disc We are rotated rapidly enough to cause the blanks to be delivered in spaced out, non-overlapping relation. The blanks are delivered onto a conveyor comprising a pairof chains 64 provided with fingers 65. The chains 64 run upon sprockets 66 and 61. The fingers 66 engage the blanks at the junctions of the top and side flaps and serve to align and accurately time the blanks. Hold-down bars 68 are provided in opposition to-the chains 64, and any suitable means may be provided for supporting the active lengths of the chains between the ends thereof. From the conveyor chains 64 the blanks pass a scoring mechanism 69 which forms fold lines between the body portions and the side flaps of the blanks. The blanks then pass through a feeding couple 10 and thence to a side fiap gumming and folding mechanism H which is desirably identical with that disclosed in Figures 8 and 9 of my pending application Serial No. 554,704, filed August 3, 193}, for Envelope machines.

From the side fiap folding mechanism the blanks pass between center seam and side crease pressing rollers 12 and 18, and thence to a blank turning mechanism 14 like that disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 548,791, filed July 6, 1931, for Envelope machines, the mechanism comprising a pair of cones and being preferably as disclosed in Figures 6 and 7 of said application. This mechanism operates to turn the blanks about their forward right hand corners, that is to say, about the intersection of the leading and right hand edges, through a right angle so that the blanks no longer advance bottom edge first, but instead advance side edge first. The turned blanks are delivered onto a conveyor 15 which in turn delivers them to a mechanism 15 which side-aligns the blanks and carries them to a higher level. This mechanism comprises an inclined conveyor consisting of a pair of chains 11 which run upon large sprockets 18 carried by a lower shaft 19 and upon large sprockets 80 carried by an upper shaft 8I. Between the sprockets 18 and 80 the shafts-19 and 8| carry, respectively, cylinders 82 -and 83. A roller 84 and a guide plate 85 coact with the cylinder 82 to feed and guide the blanks around the cylinder. As

- soon as the blanks leave the bight formed by the feed roller 84 and the cylinder 82 they stand stationary until overtaken by fingers 86 carried by the chains 11. The fingers act to square the blanks and to advance them. As each blank reaches the top of the cylinder 82, one edge thereof enters a channel-shaped side gauge 81. Between the cylinders provision is made of a belt conveyor for urging the blanks sidewise toward the side gauge 81. This conveyor comprises a belt 88 that runs on pulleys 89 and is supported in its active stretch by a table or bar 90. Balls 9| carried by an overlying bar 92 bear against the blanks in opposition to the active stretch of conveyor belt 88. The belt 88 travels obliquely to the path of the chain 11 and tends to urge the blanks-frictionally toward the channeled gauge 81.

The length of travel of the conveyor 88 is so short that there is a danger that the blanks will not be perfectly side-aligned by it. Provision is therefore made of a horizontally disposed mechanism 93 which is a substantial duplicate in structure and an exact duplicate in function and operation of the mechanism 16. The blanks are delivered to this second side-aligning mechanism by the first.

From the second side-aligning mechanism 93 the blanks are passed through a scoring couple 94 which scores lines at the junctions of the top and bottom flaps with the body of the envelope. The blanks pass thence to a mechanism 95 which gums the bottom flap and folds the bottom and top flaps. The mechanism 95 is generally similar to the gumming and folding mechanism disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 of my pending application Serial No. 554,704, hereinbefore referred to. It will be observed, however, that in passing through the side-aligning and elevating mechanism 19 the blanks are inverted so that they enter the mechanism 95 seam side downward. The

mechanism 95 is therefore required to gum the under face of the bottom flap and to fold the top and bottom flaps downward and inward. Provision is accordingly made of a center supporting and feeding conveyor belt 98 which runs through the entire length of the mechanism 95. This belt runs upon pulleys 91, 98, 99, I and IIII, and has its active stretch supported intermediatethe ends thereof by any suitable means (not shown). Provision is also made of side belts I02 which bear against the lower margins of the body portion of the blank and which run upon pulleys 91, I03, I04, I-and IOI. Above the plane of blank feeding provision is made of a pair of side belts I08 which extend throughout substantially the entire length of the mechanism 95. These belts run upon pulleys I01, I08, I09, IIO, III and I I2. They are held down by a series of intermedi-.

rollers H3 and act in direct opposition to the belts I02 and to folding belts I II. A further conveyor belt II5 runsupon pulleys I'IGand -II.1.and acts in opposition to the conveyor belt,. 98. This belt also has rollers like II9 cooperating. withit.

The belts 96, I02 and I05-carry th that the bottom flapsxpassi betwe blanks then travel past a pair a do inwardly inclined folding barsj 'l'20 the top and bottom flaps through .ubstantially a quadrant. In passing the barsr-llll the blanks leave the conveyor belts I02 and pass over bars I2I which carry rollers I22 that bear against the blanks from below in opposition to the belts I08. The bars I2I at the side of the blank adjacent the top flap carries a folding blade I23 about which the top flap is folded, but no such folding bar is provided adjacent the bottom flap for the reason that the wet gum on the bottomfiap would be pressed against the bar. The center conveyor 98 is of especial utility in supporting the blanks at this point.

The folding belts H4 run upon pulleys I24 and I25 and upon intermediate rollers I28. which cause their active stretches to be turned from substantially vertical to substantially horizontal positions, so that they are adapted to fold the top and bottom flaps in against the body portion of the blank. They also act to marginally support the blanks and assist in feeding the blanks to a discharge couple I21, and thence to a discharge conveyor I28.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an envelope machine, in combination, an outgoing stretch of mechanism including successive means for gumming, folding, and adhesively uniting the side flaps, means for transferring the blanks to an upper level, and a return stretch of mechanism at said upper level including successive means for gumming the bottom flap and folding the bottom and top flaps.

2. In an envelope machine, in combination, a linearly disposed, outgoing stretch of mechanism including successive means for gumming, folding, and adhesively uniting the side flaps, means for transferring the blanks to a different level, and a return stretch of linearly disposed mechanism located at said different level and in the same longitudinal, vertical plane as the first including successive means for gumming the bottom flap and folding the bottom and top flaps.

3. In an envelope machine, in combination, mechanism including successive means for gumming and folding the side and bottom flaps of blanks and folding the top flaps, and means selectively usable for supplying blanks to said mechanism, the first including successive means for gumming and drying the top flaps of fresh blanks 'and delivering them in fanned out relation to said mechanism, and the other comprising means for delivering fresh blanks in stack form to said mechanism.

4. In an envelope machine, in combination, mechanism including successive means for folding the side, bottom and top flaps of blanks, and means selectively usable for supplying blanks to said mechanism, the first including successive means for gumming and drying the top flaps of fresh blanks and delivering them in fanned out relation to said mechanism, and the other comprising means for delivering fresh blanks in stack form to said mechanism, said mechanism including means adapted to individually space the blanks presented either in fanned out form or in stack form. n

5. In an envelope machine, in combination, a linearly disposed gummer and drier for the top flaps of blanks adapted to be rendered idle at will, a linearly disposed mechanism including successive means for gumming, folding, and adhesively uniting the side flaps, said mechanism being doubled back over the drier and being adapted to take blanks eitherfrom the drier or from a stack,-and linearly disposed mechanism including successive means for gumming the bottom flap and folding the bottomand top flaps, said last mentioned mechanism being doubled back over the side flap gumming and folding mechanism.

6. In combination, a linearly disposed mechanism including successive means for gumming and drying the sealing flaps of envelope blanks,

a second linearly disposed mechanism including successive means for gumming and folding the side flaps of the blanks, and a third linearly disposed mechanism including successive means for gumming the bottom flaps and folding the top and bottom flaps of the blanks, said mechanisms being located at three separate levels one above the other, and being all disposed substantially in the same vertical, longitudinal plane.

7. In an envelope making machine, in combination, a linearly arranged mechanism including successive means for gumming the side flaps and folding them upward and inward, means for transferring the .blanks to a different level and reversing the direction of travel thereof, said means acting to invert the blanks, and mechanism including successive means for folding the top and bottom flaps downward and inward, including folding instrumentalities, and means between said instrumentalities supporting and feeding the blanks continuously through said mechanism.

8. In a machine for making containers of the type having flaps foldable on lines angularly disposed with reference to each other, the combination of a run of mechanism for conveying container blanks and for folding flaps of the blanks on lines of fold parallel to the line of movement of the blanks, upon said run, means for turning said partly folded blanks through an angle corresponding to the angle defined by the lines of fold, and a second run of mechanism for conveying said blanks, in the opposite direction and for folding other flaps on lines of fold parallel to the line of movement of the blanks upon said reverse stretch.

9. In an envelope machine, in combination, an

outgoing stretch of mechanism for folding the side flaps of a blank, means for transferring the blank to an upper level, and a return stretch of mechanism at said upper level for folding the bottom and top flaps.

10. In an envelope machine, in combination, an outgoing stretch of mechanism for folding the side flaps of a blank, means for transferring the blank to a diflerent level and a return stretch of mechanism at said different level for folding the bottom and top flaps.

11. In a machine for making containers of the type having flaps foldable on lines angularly disposed with reference to each other, the combination of a run of mechanism for conveying container blanks and for folding flaps of the blanks on lines of fold parallel to the line of movement of the blanks, means for transferring said partly folded blanks to a higher level, means for turning said partly folded blanks through an angle corresponding to the angle defined by the lines of fold, and asecond run of mechanism at said higher level for conveying said blanks in the opposite direction and for folding other flaps on lines of fold parallel to the line of movement of the blanks.

12. An envelope machine having the features claimed inclaim 3, and in which the mechanism referred to includes a blank separator, in which the first and second blank supplying means comprise, respectively, a conveyor for feeding blanks to the separator, and a table for supplying blanks to the separator, and which further includes a bridge adjustable either to a position for bridging the space between the conveyor and the separator or to a position for bridging the space between the table and the separator.

13. An envelope machine having the features claimed in claim 4, in which the mechanism referred to includes a blank separator, in which the first and second blank supplying means comprise, respectively, a conveyor for feeding blanks to the separator, and a table for supplying blanks to the separator, and which further includes a shelf, means for securing the shelf in adjusted positions to form an extension either of the conveyor or of the table, a leaf hinged to the shelf, and means for adjusting the leaf relatively to the shelf.

14. In an envelope making machine, in combination, mechanism including successive means for folding the side and bottom flaps of envelope blanks, a blank separator for individualizing blanks and delivering them in spaced out relation .to said mechanism, and means selectively useable for supplying blanks to said separator, the first including successive means for gumming and drying the closure flaps of fresh blanks and delivering them in fanned out relation to the separator, and the other comprising means for supplying fresh blanks in stack form to the se arator.

15. In an envelope machine, in combination,

mechanism including successive means for folding the side flaps and the bottom fiapof each, envelope blank, means for gumming and drying the closure flaps of blanks and delivering the blanks tosaid mechanism, and means for supplying blanks from a stack directly to said mechanism, independently of the closure flap gumming and drying means, when the production of en velopes having ungummed closure flaps is desired.

16. In an envelope making machine in combination, a mechanism for converting blanks into envelopes, a blank separator for individualimnz blanks and delivering them in spaced out relation to said mechanism and means selectively usable for supplying blanks to said separator, the first including successive means for gumming and drying the closure flaps of the blanks and delivering them in fanned out relation to the separator and the other comprising means for supplying blanks in stack form to the separator.

' ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

